If your brain stopped working, you would be declared dead, so it really shouldn’t be much of a surprise. But how often do we fully utilize our brain’s ability to think even when we’re not consciously aware of it?

This is where dreaming comes into play.

You have likely heard the phrase “sleep on it” when working on a problem or a project, for work or school or in your daily life. The reason is because sleep really is one of the most effective ways to effortlessly spur creative thinking.

When you spend a good amount of waking hours focusing on a problem (not trying to solve it or find any insight, but just focusing on the aspects of the problem), then go to bed, your subconscious mind begins to work on solving the problem for you. It’s like being able to think without even trying.

There’s nothing mystical or magical or otherworldy about it: this is how your brain works.

The next time you feel stuck on a problem, spend a good amount of time focusing on it, the details of it, the possibilities, and then sleep on it. You might be surprised.